The 2013 AMA Pro Road Racing season throttled into action this weekend at Daytona International Speedway, highlighted by the 72nd running of the iconic Daytona 200.

The 57-lap race on the 3.51-mile road course at Daytona is the ultimate challenge for not only AMA riders, but their perspective teams due to pit stops and mechanical upkeep of the sportbikes.

And one team that mastered the techniques needed to win such an enduring race was the Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha team and its rider, Cameron Beaubier.

The Roseville, Calif., native was quickest all weekend, dominating practice for the Daytona 200, and also claiming the pole. Beaubier then put in another dominating performance at the Daytona 200 race, leading 50 of 57 laps.

He would take the win by over 22 seconds ahead of teammate Garret Gerolff, with Triple Crown RMR Yamaha’s Bobby Fong finishing third. Yamaha YZF-R6 sportbikes also filled the fourth and fifth positions with RoadRace Factory riders Jake Gange and J.D. Beach, respectively.

Cameron Beaubier (Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha YZF-R6 SportBike) says: “I’m pretty tired right now, but I’m just trying to soak everything in. I rode as hard as I could the first stint and then be super-consistent. I had one little mess-up – I ran wide in Turn 1 – and then after that I just calmed down and kept clicking off laps. My Yamaha Extended Service Monster Energy Graves Yamaha ran awesome. They gave me two awesome pit stops, and I just rode as hard as I could. I can’t thank them enough.”

Gerloff’s second place was well earned, considering the Texan broke his leg during a nasty crash at last year’s Daytona 200. Gerloff was one of three riders who lead the Daytona 200. Gerloff led in the beginning (two laps), before Beaubier took over.

Garret Gerloff (Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha YZF-R6 SportBike) says: “(The race was) longer than I thought it would be, but it was awesome. It was awesome to be in the front group at the beginning and then Cameron started pulling away and we started pulling him back. Every once in a while we’d pass him and then he made a run for it and kind of got away. I tried to catch up but I just couldn’t do it. Big thanks to my team for awesome pit stops and all the testing we do. That’s why we’re 1-2 on the podium. I think this is going to be an awesome year and I just want to keep it rolling.”

Fong, who has been a top contender in the AMA GoPro Daytona SportBike class since joining the class in 2009, made a few mistakes in the beginning of the race, and wasn’t able to keep within Beaubier’s draft. He would finish just over 38 seconds behind.

Bobby Fong (Triple Crown RMR Yamaha YZF-R6 SportBike) says: “I made a mistake in the beginning of the race – the bike was hitting false neutrals, and I let Cameron get away. So I had to ride pretty much by myself the whole time. It was a long race but the training I did this off-season paid off.

“My bike worked great the whole time – I was just out there circulating, trying to maintain my position. It’s the best finish I’ve ever had at Daytona so thanks to everyone for helping me out.”

The only other rider besides the Y.E.S. Graves Yamaha riders to lead was Desmo Veloce Ducati’s Jake Zemke, who controlled the race for five laps. Zemke, the 2006 Daytona 200 winner (Honda CBR600RR), would battle in the top 10, but had to retire after 31 laps due to issues with the Ducati 848EVO.

Following the RoadRace Factory Yamaha riders of Gange and Beach was Steve Rapp, who was substituting for Dane Westby on the GEICO Honda CBR600RR.

Finishing seventh was two-time AMA SuperSport Champion James Rispoli on the National Guard/Celtic Racing Suzuki GSX-R600. He finished ahead of Ben Young on his self-owned Yamaha YZF-R6.

History was made in the Daytona 200 due to the two riders who finished in ninth and 10th – Sturgess Cycle Triumph’s Elena Myers and MPH Racing Honda’s Melissa Paris. The two were the first women to finish in the top 10 at the Daytona 200. The top female finish at the race before was 18th (Melissa Paris, 2011).

The top Ducati finisher out of 31 bikes was Barret Long aboard the Longevity Racing 848EVO; Long finished 11th.

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